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LSU athletics staff, including coaches, asked to agree to salary decreases amid budget cutbacks
By Keith Farner
Published:
LSU, like many other schools, is facing financial pressure this year, and has turned to budget cuts to address a projected $80 million loss in revenue.
Coaches and other employees with contracts have been asked to voluntarily reduce their annual salary by 5 percent next year, The Advocate reported. Athletic director Scott Woodward, football coach Ed Orgeron, baseball coach Paul Mainieri and others have agreed to the plan. Reducing Orgeron’s annual base salary of $6 million would create $300,000 for the athletic department.
Several people in leadership positions have already lost their jobs, including Robert Munson, LSU’s senior associate athletic director of external communications, multiple sources told The Advocate, along with Emmett David, senior associate athletic director of facilities and project development.
Jason Suitt, LSU’s assistant athletic director of fan engagement, is among the former employees who announced the elimination of their position on social media.
Overall, staff earning above $80,000 are subject to a 5 percent salary decrease in 2021, the athletic department won’t give bonuses to coaches and staff for one year and LSU will only approve new positions, promotions, salary adjustments and position replacements in “essential situations” through June 30, 2023.
1/2 Well my friends, COVID-19 has hit the Suitt household. As of today, LSU has eliminated my position within athletics. The world will keep moving and the sun will once again come up tomorrow (I hope). I have thoroughly enjoyed working at LSU and will consider myself a Tiger.
— Jason Suitt (@Jmsuitt) October 29, 2020
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
